twelfth

/twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ]

//twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"twelfth" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“twelfth” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,859. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,859
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ordinal form of the number twelve, describing a person or thing in position number 12 of a sequence.

Key facts for twelfth
PropertyValue
Headwordtwelfth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ]
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,859
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “twelfth” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). twelfth lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around twelfth (IPA /twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,859 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The ordinal form of the number twelve, describing a person or thing in position number 12 of a sequence.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for twelfth, with forms such as "tewlfth", "ttwelfth", and "tweflth". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, from Old English twelfta (“twelfth”), from Proto-Germanic *twaliftô (“twelfth”), equivalent to twelve + -th (ordinal suffix). Cognate with Scots twalt (“twelfth”), Saterland Frisian tweelfte (“twelfth”), West Frisian t… The correct English form is twelfth, spelled T-W-E-L-F-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ordinal form of the number twelve, describing a person or thing in position number 12 of a sequence.

Etymology

From Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, from Old English twelfta (“twelfth”), from Proto-Germanic *twaliftô (“twelfth”), equivalent to twelve + -th (ordinal suffix). Cognate with Scots twalt (“twelfth”), Saterland Frisian tweelfte (“twelfth”), West Frisian tolfde (“twelfth”), Dutch twaalfde (“twelfth”), German Low German twalfde, twalvde (“twelfth”), German zwölfte (“twelfth”), Danish tolvte (“twelfth”), Swedish tolfte (“twelfth”), Icelandic tólfta (“twelfth”).

Synonyms

12thXIIthXIIdozenth

This word in other languages

duodécimo(Español)douzième(Français)zwölfte(Deutsch)duodécimo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • tewlfth
  • ttwelfth
  • tweflth
  • twelffth
  • twelfht
  • twelfthh
  • twelftth
  • twellfth
  • tweltfh
  • twlefth
  • twwelfth
  • wtelfth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of twelfth - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

tewlfth2ttwelfth1tweflth2twelffth1twelfht2twelfthh1twelftth1twellfth1
Edit distance from "twelfth"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "twelfth"?
"twelfth" is spelled T-W-E-L-F-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ].
What does "twelfth" mean?
As an adjective, "twelfth" means: The ordinal form of the number twelve, describing a person or thing in position number 12 of a sequence.
What are common misspellings of "twelfth"?
Common misspellings include "tewlfth", "ttwelfth", "tweflth", "twelffth", "twelfht". The correct spelling is "twelfth".
How do you pronounce "twelfth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "twelfth" is /twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "twelfth"?
From Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, from Old English twelfta (“twelfth”), from Proto-Germanic *twaliftô (“twelfth”), equivalent to twelve + -th (ordinal suffix). Cognate with Scots twalt (“twelfth”), Saterland Frisian tweelfte (“twelfth”), West... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “twelfth”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-W-E-L-F-T-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /twɛlfθ/ [tʰw̥ɛɫfθ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list